Addressing a plenary session on Supply and Demand Challenges for Oil, Gas and Products at the 22nd World Petroleum Congress in Istanbul, he said the rising middle class of emerging Asian countries like India will drive the demand for energy both in terms of electricity and cooking, and transportation fuel.

As incomes rise, demand for petrochemicals – raw materials for several lifestyle products – will also increase, an official statement quoted him as saying.

Giving example of India, he said the energy consumption is expected to almost double by 2035.

India, the worlds third largest consumer of crude oil, is the only country where the demand will continue to rise for more than a decade, he said.

“He flagged the importance of responsible price for crude oil for countries like India which would allow it to provide energy to the common people,” the statement said.

The minister also underlined that in todays over supplied market, it is important for producers to understand the perspective of consumers and demand centres and the changes that have taken place in these demand centres.

Like security of supplies is important for consumers, security of demand too is important for producers, he added.

Later, the minister launched an event on Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) as a part of promoting the upcoming oil and gas bidding rounds in India.

India on July 1 opened 2.8 square km of its sedimentary basins for oil and gas exploration to domestic and overseas investors to increase production and cut excessive dependence on imports.

Under the new policy, any company can access data related to Indias hydrocarbon reserves and submit bids for any area it wants to explore.

Open Acreage Licensing policy, as it is called, allows investors to select blocks after studying seismic data available from National Depository Data, without waiting for a formal bid round from the oil ministry.

It promises market prices for oil and gas discovered and produced as well as an investor-friendly revenue sharing regime.